The Chill Foundation is excited to launch its youth-development program in Detroit next week! Chill Detroit will run a 3-week, 6-session skateboarding program with help from the iconic Modern Skate and Surf in Royal Oak, MI. Chill Detroit is partnering with Affirmations, a Detroit-based nonprofit specializing in serving the LGBTQ community. The inaugural program will serve 10 youth from Affirmations and begins on Monday, November 13. The group will participate in daily lessons before stepping on boards to practice their new skills, while Chill takes care of all equipment and lesson needs free-of-charge. Daily themes include patience, persistence, responsibility, courage, respect, and pride. For some participants, this is their first time on a skateboard.
The Chill Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Burlington, Vermont is proud to bring its programs to the youth of Detroit in an effort to help area kids between the ages of 10 and 18 years-old overcome a variety of challenges they are facing. As part of an ongoing expansion effort across North America, Detroit has been selected as one of 4 new pop-up locations this year with others slated to launch in the coming year.
“We are stoked to bring our positive youth-development program to Detroit youth,” said Alex Bornstein, Executive Director of The Chill Foundation. “For the first time in more than ten years, we are launching a new program and we chose Detroit because we know how much our work will positively impact the community here. We also have received some great support to make the program happen and we are looking forward to building meaningful relationships in the community so that we can create positive change for years to come for the youth that need it most,” Bornstein said. “We are grateful to be partnering with Affirmations and Modern Skate and Surf, two incredible organizations already well-established in the community.”
Chill works with participants from a variety of backgrounds including foster care, juvenile justice, afterschool programs, drug treatment programs, group homes, and other marginalized populations. The Foundation works with local agencies to select the participants who would benefit most from being involved in the Chill program.
